Ariapeithes

Ariapeithes (Scythian: Aryapaiϑah; Ancient Greek: Αριαπειθης, romanized: Ariapeithēs) was a king of the Scythians in the early 5th century BCE.

Name

Ariapeithes's name originates from the Scythian name *Ariyapaiϑah, and is composed of the terms *Ariya-, meaning "Aryan" and "Iranian," and *paiϑah-, meaning "decoration" and "adornment."

Life

Ariyapaiϑah had three wives, each of whom bore him one son:

• an unnamed Greek woman from Istria, who became the mother of Skula
• an unnamed daughter of the Thracian king Tērēs I, who became the mother of Uxtamazatā
• a Scythian woman named Hupāyā (Ancient Greek: Οποιη, romanized: Opoiē; Latin: Opoea), who became the mother of Varika (Ancient Greek: Ορικος, romanized: Orikos; Latin: Oricus)

Death

Ariyapaiϑah was treacherously killed by Spargapaiϑah, the king of the Agathyrsi, after which Skula became the king of the Scythians, and took his stepmother Hupāyā as one of his wives.

References

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William (1870). "Ariapeithes". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 284.